A Budapest court has sentenced former Fidesz MP István Boldog to five years in prison for his role in a corruption scheme involving EU-funded projects in Hungary. The former politician was also banned from public affairs for five years, fined and ordered to forfeit HUF 6.6 million (approximately EUR 18,000).
The Budapest Metropolitan Court handed down the first-instance verdict on Friday, finding Boldog guilty as an accomplice in several offences, including accepting bribes and agreements restricting competition in public procurement procedures, Telex reported.
According to the ruling, he may be released after serving two-thirds of his sentence at the earliest. The decision is not final, and Boldog had already indicated before the verdict that he would appeal if convicted.
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How the corruption scheme worked
The court found that an unlawful kickback system operated in Boldog’s former parliamentary constituency in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County. Using his political influence, the former MP helped municipalities with connections to him secure EU funding while favouring certain businesses in public procurement contracts.
According to the judge, this was not an isolated incident but a system operating across the constituency. Unlike more conventional corruption schemes involving inflated contracts and documented kickbacks, money was returned in cash to Boldog and people working with him.
The investigation focused primarily on three projects in Cserkeszőlő: the construction of a nursery, the renovation of the Baghy-Szinyei Merse Mansion and energy-efficiency improvements to municipal buildings. However, investigators found indications that other municipalities and contractors could also have been involved.
The court also highlighted evidence that a contractor handed HUF 20 million to one of Boldog’s associates, identified as Péter K. The defence argued that the associate had kept the money for himself without Boldog’s knowledge, but the court said other evidence contradicted this explanation.
The judge added that witnesses’ testimonies and intercepted conversations suggested municipalities believed Boldog had decisive influence over which localities would receive EU funding. This influence extended beyond the main regional development programme to other funding schemes, including the Hungarian Village Programme.
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Other defendants also receive prison sentences
Boldog was not the only defendant convicted in the case. Petra Fehér, a former Fidesz municipal and county representative who was widely known as one of Boldog’s closest associates, also received a five-year prison sentence. Her time spent in pre-trial detention will count towards her sentence.
Another associate, Péter K., was sentenced to three years in prison and fined. The court found the other defendants guilty as well, with the exception of the ninth defendant, who was acquitted.
Boldog denies wrongdoing and plans to fight the verdict
The former MP has consistently denied the accusations, insisting that he never interfered unlawfully in funding decisions or participated in bribery. Before Friday’s ruling, he told Telex that he expected to be acquitted and promised to appeal if the court found him guilty.
At an earlier hearing in February, Boldog again rejected the allegations, claiming that he had spent his entire life fighting corruption. He also questioned the credibility of witnesses, particularly former Kengyel mayor Szilárd Nagy, whose testimony helped launch the investigation.
The case first came to public attention in October 2019, and prosecutors filed charges against Boldog and eight others in 2020. The preparatory hearing took place in June 2021, meaning more than five years passed before the court delivered its first-instance verdict.
Fidesz replaced Boldog as its candidate ahead of the 2022 parliamentary election, after which he withdrew from active politics. He has remained active on social media, describing himself as a national-minded commentator and food blogger.
